Leinster Bay Beach

Leinster Bay Beach is a small shore beach at the head of a rocky bay on St. John’s north coast, known for a walk-in snorkel stop. From Annaberg parking, allow about 20 minutes along the Leinster Bay Trail: the first narrow sandy entry comes after about 10 minutes, and the main beach is another 10 minutes farther. The shoreline is mostly rocky with small patches of sand, so I’d choose it for snorkeling and the bay view, not a long towel-and-sun day. Wear sturdy shoes on the trail and water shoes for the rocky entry.

From the main beach, you can snorkel over the seagrass bed. Waterlemon Cay is a separate offshore destination reached by swimming along the eastern shore. Rocks and long-spined sea urchins make the water entry tricky; look for sand underfoot. If you swim around the Cay, stay on its southern side, since the current can run strongly on the north side facing Tortola.

The best shore view is the curve of pale sand against blue-green water and the wooded hillside across the bay. Include some of that curve in a photo so the small shoreline reads clearly.

The walk begins beside Annaberg, St. John’s largest sugar-producing estate. At its peak, more than 600 enslaved people lived and worked there. The Leinster Bay waterfront was used by enslaved people escaping to freedom on nearby Tortola, and the shoreline is included in the National Underground Railroad Network to Freedom. Give the nearby ruins time on the way in or out; they make this more than a beach-and-snorkel stop.